12-Days Morocco Jewish Heritage Tour From Casablanca, 12-Days Jewish Tour In Morocco, 12-Days Jewish Trip From Casablanca, 12-Days Jewish Heritage Customized Holiday In Morocco, 12-Days Jewish Heritage Travel To Morocco, 12-Days Tour To Explore Jewish Heritage Sites In Morocco.

DAY 1: ARRIVAL TO CASABLANCA

Arrival at Casablanca Mohammed V airport, welcome, and assistance. Orientation tour of Casablanca, the economic capital of Morocco. We’ll take a panoramic tour of the city during which we’ll see the newer part of this North African metropolis, including the United Nations Square, renowned for the Neo Moorish buildings that surround it, and for the fountain, which sprays water all around. Casablanca is home to the largest Jewish community in Morocco and has numerous congregations, active communal institutions, and many highly recommended kosher restaurants. Visit of the Mellah (Jewish Quarter) with its temples and synagogues such as Beth-El, Em Habanim, and Neve Shalom. You will visit Hassan II Mosque; this is a true architectural wonder. We’ll visit the new and old cities, the colorful bazaars and the promenade along the ocean. Spend the night with breakfast at the hotel.

• Driving distance: Approximately 40 Kilometers.
• Estimated driving duration: 45 min (without traffic).
• Accommodation: Overnight stay at a hotel in Casablanca.
• Meals: Dinner included.

DAY 2: CASABLANCA – RABAT

After breakfast, departure to Rabat and Sale. Visit the Chellah and Kasbah of Oudayas located next to the Medina within the ramparts of the old city. The Mellah, with its narrow lanes and colorful courtyards, is now the home of a few Jewish families. Continue to Sale, the twin city of Rabat and the birthplace of Rabbi Hayyim Ben Moses Attar, the famous 18th-century scholar, and kabbalist, known throughout the Jewish world for his Bible commentary, the “Or Ha-Hayyim”. Return to Rabat for dinner and overnight stay.

• Driving distance: Approximately 100 Kilometers.
• Estimated driving duration: 1hr 30 min (without traffic).
• Accommodation: Overnight stay at a hotel/Riad in Rabat.
• Meals: Dinner included.

DAY 3: RABAT - TETOUAN - CHEFCHAOUEN

After breakfast, we leave Rabat towards the town of Tetouan deemed as a center for Jewish community originating from the time of the expulsion of the Jews from Spain in 1492, was for many centuries the intellectual and religious center of the North of Morocco. The city has a well-kept Mellah built in the traditional Andalusian style in 1808. The Mellah quarter enjoys the distinction of being the only one that still houses most of the resident community, who faithfully maintain their Judeo-Spanish language, traditions and customs. The city’s large and preserved cemetery comprises another historical landmark of great interest, most particularly the Castilian section, the burial ground for the earliest settlers from Spain. In the Mellah are three active Synagogues. Among these, the Synagogue Rabbi Isaac Ben Oualid, on the ground floor of the Rabbi’s home, is the most historic, and its interior the most picturesque, and many legends surround this building. Tetouan is the site of the first Alliance Israelite Universal School, established in 1862 after Morocco regained control of the city from the Spanish. We continue the Jewish heritage tour towards the blue washed town of Chefchaouen for the overnight with dinner at the hotel.

• Driving distance: Approximately 255 Kilometers.
• Estimated driving duration: 4hrs 00 min (without traffic).
• Accommodation: Overnight stay at a hotel/Riad in Chefchaouen.
• Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included.

DAY 4: CHEFCHAOUEN – OUAZZANE – FEZ

Today you will explore Chefchaouen, Morocco's enchanting city beneath the striking peaks of the Rif Mountains. Whitewashed homes with red tile roofs line narrow, winding laneways, their walls painted in brilliant shades of blue. Then continue onto the holy city of Ouazzane to visit the sanctuary of a Jewish Saint venerated by both Muslims and Jews Rabbi Amram Ben Diwan. The Hiloulah takes place in Ouezzane and is considered the largest pilgrimage gathering for Moroccan Jews. The Jewish heritage tour continues to Meknes “the Moroccan Versailles” where the Jewish presence is evidenced by Hebraic epitaphs dating from the Christian era as well as Greek inscriptions that still appear in local Synagogues and a place of pilgrimage where the tomb of Rabbi’ David Benmidan, “The Patron of Meknes” is located. After lunch, you will tour Meknes starting from the ornamented gate of Bab Al Mansour to the old and new Mellah to see the past and new life conveyed through the historic Jewish names retained by many of the streets. We leave Meknes towards Fez with a stop at Volubilis, a well-preserved Roman city, where archaeologists found the first traces of Jewish settlement in Morocco. We arrive to the medieval city of Fez for the overnight with dinner at the hotel or Riad.

• Driving distance: Approximately 250 Kilometers.
• Estimated driving duration: 4hrs 00 min (without traffic).
• Accommodation: Overnight stay at a hotel/Riad in Fez.
• Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included.

DAY 5: EXPLORE FEZ

Today will be mostly devoted to the spiritual and cultural capital of Morocco, which combines old and new. There will be a guided tour with a local English-speaking guide. The area of Fes is today a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its narrow lanes with their workshops remain as they have been for hundreds of years. We’ll visit the square of the Royal Palace, which is alongside the Jewish quarter – the oldest Mellah in Morocco, as well as the Jewish cemetery and the Abu Danan Synagogue in the Mellah. We’ll view the Dynastic Tombs and city from the green roofs and walls of Fez. From the rooftops we’ll see the tannery quarter where hides are treated, and we’ll visit a ceramics factory where we’ll learn about this unique local craft. The city’s ramparts surround a maze of winding alleys and a bustling market divided according to the guilds of its artisans. Spend the night with breakfast at the hotel or Riad.

• Driving distance: No distance.
• Estimated driving duration: No duration.
• Accommodation: Overnight stay at a hotel/Riad in Fez.
• Meals: Breakfast included.

DAY 6: FEZ – IFRANE – ZIZ VALLEY – ERFOUD – MERZOUGA DESERT

After breakfast we travel to Ifran, a Swiss-type Moroccan town, located at 1600 meters above sea level. The entire area is surrounded by magnificent monkey inhabited cedar forests. The town also hosts the Peace University, where members of the three monotheistic religions were supposed to have studied together. Follow the old caravan trail south. Stop for lunch in Midelt, a market town set in the high plains between the Middle and High Atlas Mountain ranges. Continue along the palm-fringed Ziz Valley, famous for date cultivation, to the Tafilalt oasis on the edge of the Sahara Desert. Arrive to Merzouga on the afternoon. You’ll be welcomed with a glass of mint tea then get guided by an experience Camel Guide taking the best care of you. Spend a celestial overnight with the gleaming stars in a desert camp with dinner.

• Driving distance: Approximately 480 Kilometers.
• Estimated driving duration: 7hrs 30 min (without traffic).
• Accommodation: Overnight stay at a hotel/Tented Desert Camp.
• Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included.

DAY 7: MERZOUGA – TODRA GORGES – SKOURA - OUARZAZATE

After breakfast, we leave the magical dune Erg Chebbi in Merzouga and head towards the old irrigation system that was used in the oasis of Ziz. We continue driving through the arid landscapes to the small town of Tinghir where the fabulous Todra Gorges to enjoy a leisurely walk in and around the canyons and venture up between the high limestone cliffs with their exotic shaped erosions and beautiful green vegetation, Kasbahs ranging in colors from greenish black to dark red and startling lime white. After lunch, we arrive to Tineghir to visit the gateway and the ancient and colorful Jewish quarter Mellah. This town is believed to have one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Morocco. We leave Tinghir towards the Rose valley where thousands of small, pink Damascene roses are grown and the palm’s grove of Skoura to reach the Hollywood of Africa Ouarzazate for the overnight with dinner at the hotel.

• Driving distance: Approximately 365 Kilometers.
• Estimated driving duration: 6hrs 30 min (without traffic).
• Accommodation: Overnight stay at a hotel/Riad in Ouarzazate.
• Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included.

DAY 8: OUARZAZATE – AIT BENHADDOU - MARRAKECH

After breakfast, you will visit one of the world’s largest cinematographic studios of Atlas to learn how the nearby regions and breathtaking Desert landscapes have been portrayed in fiction and non-fiction movies. We drive to Ait Benhaddou village where you will go for a walk to visit this ancient village. An authentic site where a list of movies was filmed starting with the first movies “Lawrence of Arabia”,” Jesus of Nazareth”,” Gladiator” and the list is still going on. It is also listed in UNESCO as a site of the world and national culture in 1987. After lunch, we continue the Jewish heritage tour to Marrakech via the scenic landscapes of the Atlas Mountains with an optional excursion to the Rabbi David Oumouchy and to the Jewish saint, David Lachkar or Moulay Ighi. We reach the pink city of Marrakech. Check in at the hotel for the overnight with dinner.

• Driving distance: Approximately 200 Kilometers.
• Estimated driving duration: 4hrs 30 min (without traffic).
• Accommodation: Overnight stay at a hotel/Riad in Marrakech.
• Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included.

DAY 9: EXPLORE MARRAKECH

Today you will have a sightseeing tour of Marrakech, a home of a thriving strong community of native Jews, specialized in commerce and handicrafts, famed for their rabbinical schools and scholars. We will visit the Mellah with its synagogues, The Negidim synagogue built at the end of the 19th century, the other synagogue of the is the Salat el Alzama, built at the turn of the century. Then you will see the cemetery where Rabbi Hanania Ha-Cohen, the Lion of Marrakesh and Rabbi Pinhas Cohen are buried. Your guided tour continues to the 19th Century Bahia Palace, and the 16th-century Ben Youssef Madrasa Islamic School to appreciate the exquisite Zellij, the carved cedar ceilings, and calligraphy. Wander around the labyrinth of narrow alleyways to indulge your senses and explore the colorful bustling souks of Marrakech. Then move next to the 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque and the lavishly decorated 500-year-old Saadian Tombs. From here drive to explore the Majorelle Gardens - one of the must-see attractions in Marrakech, famous for its botanical growing plants and trees from around the world. We finish your guided tour in the Djemaâ El Fnaâ Square before heading to the hotel for the overnight with breakfast.

• Driving distance: No distance.
• Estimated driving duration: No duration.
• Accommodation: Overnight stay at a hotel/Riad in Marrakech.
• Meals: Breakfast included.

DAY 10: MARRAKECH - ESSAOUIRA

After breakfast, we will leave to the fresh and artistic coastal city of Essaouira as one of the loveliest cities in Morocco and a multicultural artistic center, which has captivated people like Jimi Hendrix, Orson Welles and the Rolling Stones were drawn to Essaouira’s idyllic charm, which continues today to lure musicians and artists alike to the sparkling whitewashed fishing village trimmed with the brilliant azure of its skies. You will stroll around the Jewish quarter Mellah which covers 10 percent of the town. Jewish stars on the doors to the Mellah show the degree to which Jews were in Essaouira, to the point that some of the richer Jews did not even live in the Mellah. Essaouira’s Medina was built in the 18th century. Nowadays the city is a World Heritage Site protected by UNESCO and is the favorite place for most Moroccan artists and musicians. The city is also the stage of the famous music festival Gnawa, an old spiritual art form of North-African Islamism. Former inhabitants of Essaouira, most of them Jewish, formed a committee to rehabilitate the town. The Jewish cemetery, just outside the city gates, is extremely well-kept. Two historical synagogues should be renovated soon “Slat Rabbi Haïm Pinto and Slat Attias”. Spend the overnight with dinner at the hotel or Riad.

• Driving distance: Approximately 175 Kilometers.
• Estimated driving duration: 6hrs 00 min (without traffic).
• Accommodation: Overnight stay at a hotel/Riad in Essaouira.
• Meals: Dinner & Breakfast included.

DAY 11 : ESSAOUIRA – SAFI – EL JADIDA – CASABLANCA

We leave the coastal city of Essaouira to Casablanca via the picturesque coastal road. There were Jewish communities in the ports of Safi and El Jadida, who were active in commerce and handicrafts. Your journey will stop in Safi to visit the Mellah in the Northern part of the medina, the sanctuary of Oulad Ben Zmirou and the Portuguese fortress. We continue to Oualidia for a fish lunch in a local restaurant with a view over its superb bay. We reach the city of El Jadida to visit the 18th century Portuguese citadel later served as the Jewish quarter. We arrive to the economic capital Casablanca by the evening. Check in at the hotel for the overnight with dinner.

• Driving distance: Approximately 370 Kilometers.
• Estimated driving duration: 5hrs 00 min (without traffic).
• Accommodation: Overnight stay at a hotel in Casablanca.
• Meals: Breakfast included.

DAY 12: CASABLANCA – BACK TO THE AIRPORT

Transfer to the Airport to take your flight home with a good an amazing experience and best memories about Jewish Heritage Tour in Morocco.

NOTE

NOTE : Bear in mind that this is just a tour itinerary suggestion, if it does not match what you are looking for, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will organize a different itinerary based on your preferences and your stay duration. We offer customized and tailor-made tours and trips all around Morocco.

The price varies according to the number of people traveling, the more people joining the tour the less the price gets. Since the transportation payment is fixed, the price will be divided according to the number of travelers. The price depends on the quality and category of the accommodation. Contact Us for an exact quote.